Temporary Free Line to Nait
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TEMPORARY FREE LINE TO NAIT THE Thursday, September 4, 2014 Volume 52, Issue 2 NAIT YOUR STUDENT NEWSPAPERNUGGET FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA ALL ABOARD! Photos by Jenny Lau NAIT Students’ Association President Hasib Baig and the Ooklet wel- come a new express bus line to the campus. The temporary service will be offered until the LRT extension opens. See story, Page 2. 2 The Nugget Thursday, September 4, 2014 NEWS&FEATURES Photo by Tegan Dutton Waiting for a bus is a way of life for many students. The Ookspress is running By NICOLAS BROWN survey cards available on the bus or by call- @bruchev ing 3-1-1 to provide feedback. Unfortu- As students return to class and campus nately, the electric buses won’t be avail- starts to bustle again, NAIT students will able for the entire length of the Ookspress have the opportunity to enjoy new transit program, as this portion of the pilot project access to campus. Say hello to the Ookspress! uses buses that are not winterized, diesel As of Sept. 2, as part of ETS’s pilot project buses will be used once the cold weather testing some new electric “stealth” buses to settles in. The city is currently awaiting the determine their viability in our city, NAIT arrival of the stealth buses to continue the students have the unprecedented opportunity pilot project but there is no firm date for to test out the buses in a new express service their arrival. In the meantime, at the end of from downtown directly to campus. This line the pilot project, the Ookspress will con- will run until the LRT extension to NAIT is tinue to operate with conventional ETS completed. buses and normal fares will be reinstated Part of the pilot project to test the feas- (so be sure to have your U-Pass ready!). ibility of electric transit in Edmonton, the Linda Kadatz, Divisional Supervisor Ookspress has been described by ETS as of Bus Operations explains the stealth a non-revenue project, where students can bus pilot project, “This is the begin- ride the new buses for free. In return, ETS ning, this is the future. We like to be on asks students, if they want, to fill out the the cutting edge, and this is it.” As for the motivation for the Ookspress? As it turns out, NAIT trains the city’s electrical vehicle mech- anics! And while the electric buses have been a success in other locations, once the city receives the winterized buses, Linda explains, “That’s when the real test of the technology will begin.” Students interested in learning more about the Ookspress or the new stealth buses are encouraged to contact ETS. “The Ookspress service is a supplement to current service- not the main service to NAIT. It does, however, add great value to our U-Pass program during the period of our LRT delay,” said NAITSA Advocacy Direc- tor Jason Roth. Thursday, September 4, 2014 NEWS & FEATURES The Nugget 3 Safe walking for all “There shouldn’t be a fear compon- dents. A good example of this is just this The Nugget ent but it is for making people feel safe morning, “ Elkow said. Room E-128B and secure in their walks in and about “We had a homeless man setting up 11762–106 Street campus,” he said. camp by the Human Resources build- Edmonton, Alberta Using SafeWalk is as easy as call- ing. In my experience, these aren’t at- T5G 2R1 ing 780-471-7477 risk people, they are Production Office 471-8866 (the Protective Ser- homeless that are www.thenuggetonline.com vices main line) and looking for shelter,” Editor-in-Chief requesting a safe said Elkow. Gabrielle Hay-Byers walk. There are lim- “Not every GABRIELLE HAY-BYERS itations – being that homeless person [email protected] Chief Furniture Mover there are bound- is going to break Issues Editor @Gee_H_Bee aries for how far into cars, etc. Even Maria Tagliente “How safe is this area?” was a ques- SafeWalk will go if they were going [email protected] tion posed to me by a number of parents with you, with 118 to indulge in that Sports Editor as I manned the Nugget’s info table dur- Avenue being the type of activity, Connor Hood ing orientation recently. Everyone ask- northern boundary, they’re not looking [email protected] and Princess Eliza- to break into their ing was concerned about their student Entertainment Editors walking alone after dark or on a lesser- beth Way being the neighbour’s house, populated weekend day. Their concerns southern bound- they’re going to go Richard Lukacs are justified. Edmonton is no longer ary. The service- two blocks away. If Quinton Berger a sleepy, small city and especially for able area stretches someone is working [email protected] someone unused to thinking about their from 102 Street to late we want them Photo Editors own personal safety, there are potential 109 Street west to to know that with Ciaran Boyle dangers just like anywhere else. east and officers are these kinds of situ- Tegan Dutton My answer was truthful. I believe available to walk ations, we’re going [email protected] to come and make this area is very friendly and safe, with you to the nearest Online Editor lovely neighbours in Woodcroft and bus station. sure they feel safe Inglewood as well as well-lit walk- SafeWalk is getting to their car Baillie Scheetz ing areas and bus stops. But my answer available to any James Elkow or the bus.” online [email protected] doesn’t really matter – what does matter member of the For those of Special Consultant is that there’s no reason to walk alone NAIT community whether they be staff, us that frequent campus at later hours Bridgette Tsang here at NAIT at night when we have a student or faculty. The intent of the pro- regularly, there is the option of pre- Production Manager SafeWalk program that is free to use. gram is to make sure that no area is scheduling a Safewalk, which would Frank MacKay “It’s moreso for those folks who are seen as inaccessible due to a commun- see an officer meet you at a pre-deter- working here late … and it’s seven or eight ity member not wanting to walk alone at mined time and place. To set this up, all [email protected] at night and there’s no one around, that’s night. you have to do is stop by the Protective Submissions encouraged: who we’re helping, said James Elkow, act- “The best eyes and ears for us (at Services office and speak with an offi- [email protected] ing manager of Protective Services. Protective Services) are staff and stu- cer on duty. The opinions expressed by contributors to the Nugget are not necessarily shared by NAIT officials, NAITSA or elected school representatives. Ebola threat at NAIT low For advertising, call 780-701-1951 By NICOLAS BROWN individual, the virus resembles malaria in countries like Canada being rapidly or e-mail: @bruchev but often worsens to vomiting, diarrhea, quarantined. The possibility of a viable [email protected] With over 1,500 people dead and decreasing liver and kidney functions and treatment, an experimental drug called 3,000 suspected cases, it is rapidly becom- finally, death through hemorrhagic bleed- ZMapp, has proven promising, but it is ing the world’s next health crisis. No, it’s ing, both internally and externally. This not yet widely available. not SARS, it’s not Swine Flu, it is Ebola. particular strain has the highest case- What does this mean for NAIT stu- More specifically known as Ebola virus fatality rate of all ebolaviruses, aver- dents? The likelihood that anyone on disease, this is the most severe outbreak aging 83 per cent, although fatality rates campus has come in contact with the Letters of the disease since its discovery in 1976. as high as 90 per cent have been recorded virus is extremely low. NAIT Health Ser- We want your views Declared a Pub- in past outbreaks. vices is aware of the issues involved. Is something bugging you lic Health Emer- The spread of the “The approach has been that we will about NAIT or the world? Do gency of Inter- current outbreak handle it on a case by case basis should you have some praise for the national Concern has been blamed anything arise,” said Andrew Smith, on Aug. 8, officials on numerous fac- director of NAIT’s Health and Safety school or life in general? estimate as many tors, including Services. Keep your thoughts short as 20,000 people local burial prac- “Alberta Health Services would pro- and to the point. No more www.uncommondescent.com could become infected tices, lack of basic vide a large piece of direction, and we than 100 words. Submit before containment measures have any medical and sanitation supplies and dis- also consider the direction coming from your letters with your real effect. trust of emergency workers. the CDC (Centers for Disease Control name and contact info to: What is the Ebola virus? The cur- This may sound full of doom and and Prevention) and Health Canada.” [email protected]. rent outbreak is believed to originate gloom, and rightly so with such a ser- In the meantime, it is always recom- We need to list your real name. from the Zaire ebolavirus, one of four ious outbreak but it’s not all about pre- mended to be mindful of your health as Getting something off your ebolaviruses known to cause disease in dictions of mass casualties.